Success is what YOU make it!

Having two days off from work in a row from work is amazing!!! I am sitting at home though surfing through my DVR catching up on all of the things I have no time to watch. Right now I am watching Oprah and an episode she did on with a 7 year old who has schizophrenia. Kind of INTENSE!

Other things on my list are sending out my Christmas cards, buying a new planner for 2010, and cleaning my room.

Ohhhh it's the little things that put a smile on my face these days. ;-)

One of the other things I just got finished doing was watching my friend Dawn Melissa Green's YouTube series called VideoPal. It's a great concept of 4 women who living across the country from each other (2 in NYC, 2 in LA) keeping in touch and updating each other on their day to day lives through web cam. The series primarily follows D Elis, a transient east coast girl in search of a new life, and love in LA. With an awesome supporting cast, fun story lines, and all kinds of side story video's in between episodes this Series will be a huge, HUGE hit!

CHECK IT OUT!!!

The word of the day seems to be: Success.

I was having a conversation with a friend today about success and their desire to attain it, and I found it to be an interesting conversation to have. As a struggling artist myself living in Los Angeles, I work as an Assistant Manager at a movie theater to pay my bills. I moved to the city from Fort Lauderdale, FL to pursue a career in acting, and understand what it's like to question if you are doing the right thing, or anything at all for that matter. I totally get feeling like you haven't reached the level of success that you want. Also I get watching all of the people around you doing big things while you are struggling to pay your bills and feeling down because you wish you could be where they are.

My response to my friend on the subject was to stop comparing herself and the measurement of her success with others, and that she would have her success. I told her, "You can't lose sight of what you want, and don't expect it to come overnight or when you want it to. As long as you work hard, and never give up it will come in it's own time."

One of the things that remains a constant reminder for me currently is my high school friend Jason Derulo. He has a number one hit on the charts right now called "Whatcha Say", which was the top selling song on ITunes, and getting ridiculous radio play. I go to karaoke every Wednesday night, and I'll hear it playing there. It's crazy. we performed in shows together @ Dillard High, and then years later I see him here in LA, he tells me he got signed to a label and he had a song coming out. Little did I know... It's was gonna be HUGE!!!

(Shout out to Olivia's Restaurant in Burbank. 245 E. Olive St. We do this... EVERY WEDNESDAY!!! 830pm-2am)

Human response would be,"SHIT! Why can't that be me? Why can't I be doing that?"

I absolutely asked myself that for a second. Right around the time I went home to visit Florida, and his song had reached #1 on the request line for Y-100, but past that I realized quickly that his success has nothing to do with mine. I just have to continue to work hard and do me. I am extremely happy for Jason. (In fact you should go buy his album. It's in stores today!)

All of this reminded me of Dawn, and her hard work with building her VideoPal series. No man (or woman) has ever reached success without hard work. It won't just come to you sitting on your couch watching TV. You have to go out there and take what you want. Make your way into the world.

I met Mia Vardarlos of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" and talked to her about her entry into the industry. She told me that she knew no casting director was ever gonna hire her, so she decided to make her own work. She wrote, directed, and stared in MBFGW, and look at the success she has had since.

So to all of you dreamers out there willing to put in the work to "make it", get off your ass, stop complaining, grab life by the balls, and make it happen!

Remember: Success is what YOU make it!

-D. Wright


"Whatever you vividly imagine, ardently desire, sincerely believe, and enthusiastically act upon... must inevitably come to pass!" - Paul J. Meyer